Railway-traffic-controlling apparatus



Dec. 1924- 1,519,387

H. A. WALLACE RA ILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 29, 1925 I 62 I 10 5 10 3a Ca T1 INVENTORI 7%. @Wm,

Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

UETE. STATES HERBERT A. WALLACE, OF EDGEWOOD BOROUGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA. A CORPORA- TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-TRAFFIC-CONTROLLING AYEARATUS'.

Application filed August 29, 1923.

To all whom it may conccm:

Be it known that T, Hnnsnn'r A. Wlmnxon, a citizen. of the United States, residing at Edgewood Borough, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railwa-y-Traflic-Controlling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway traffic controlling; apparatus, and particularly to appara tus of the type wherein governing mechanism on a train is controlled by energy re ceired from the traclrway.

More particularly the present invention relates to the trackwa-y port-ion of such apparatus.

T will describe two forms of apparatus embodying my invention and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

Tn the accrnnpanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing one form of trackway apparatus embodying my invention. F5 2 2 is a fragn'ientary view showing a modification of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. l and also embodying my invention.

Similar reference characters refer similar parts in both of the views.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the reference characters 1 and 1 designate the track rails of a railway track, which rails are divided by insulated joints 2 to form a. plurality of sections, of which only one section AB is shown in the drawing. Section. AB is provided with a signal S which as here. shown, is of the semaphore type, and is provided with two electric lamps 3 and 3, for giving indications during darkness. That is to say, these lamps are lighted continuously, and the indication given by these lamps is determined by colored lenses or roundels, which are moved in front of the lamps by the semaphore or the semaphore operating mechanism. The section next to the right of section A-B is provided with a similar signal S The means for controlling these signals forms no part of the present invention and is omitted from the drawing for the purpose of simplicity.

Track circuit current is supplied to the rails of section A-B by a transformer T the primary of which is constantly supplied with alternating current from a transmis- Serial No. 659,915.

sion line 8, which in turn is connected with a generator G. The secondary of transformer is connected across the rails of section AB through a pole-changer 9 operated by signal S so that track circuit current from this transformer flows through the rails of section A-B in series, and this current is of one relative polarity or the other, depending upon the position of signal S Means are also provided for section A-B for supplying to the rails of this section a train governing current which liowsthrough the two rails in multiple, and which current I will call the loop current. For the purpose of supplying this current to the track rails, two resistances 4 and 5 are connected across the rails at an interi'i'iediate point in the section, and a third resistance 6 is connected across the rails at the end B of the section. Ordinarily a. fourth resistance would be connected across the rails at the end A, but in place of such resistance I have connected the two lamps 3 and 3 of signal S in series in a bridge C across the track rails at the end A of section AB. Local current is supplied to one portion of the section by a. transformer T, the primary of which is connected with the transmission line 8. One terminal of the secondary of this transformer is connected with the middle point of resistance 4, and the other terminal is connected with the bridge C at point between the two lamps and 3 Current therefore flows from one terminal of the secondary of transformer T through the two halves of resistance a in multiple, the two rails 1 and 1 in multiple, the two lamps 3 am 3 in multiple, to the other terminal of the secondary of transformer T. It will be seen, therefore, that the lamps 3 and 3 take the place of the two halves of a resistance across the rails.

Loop current is also supplied to the remaining portion of the section AB by a transformer T the primary of which is connected with the transmission line 8, and the secondary of which is connected with the middle points of resistances 5 and 6, respectively, through a circuit controller 7 operated by signal S By means of my invention I am enabled to reduce the amount of power required for lighting the signal lamps by utilizing the resist-ances of these lamps for another useful purpose, that is, for the track resistance ordinarily required for the loop current circuit.

If the resistance of lamps 3 and 3 is too low, additional resistors may be inserted in the loop circuit, as shown in Fig. 2. Referring to this view, an additional resistance 10 is interposed between the lamp 3 and the track rail 1, while an additional resistance 10 is interposed between the lamp 3 and the track rail 1, so that the bridge, which in this view is designated, C, comprises the two lamps 3 and 3 and the two resistances l0 and 10' all connected in series.

Although I have herein shown and described only two forms of apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: I

1. Railway traiiic controlling apparatus comprising a train governing circuit including the two track rails in multiple, and a signal lamp included in said circuit.

2. In combination, a section of railway track, an impedance connected across the rails of said section, two signal lamps connected in series in a bridge across said rails, and a source or" train governing current having one terminal, connected with an intermediate point in said impedance and the other terminal connected with said bridge at a point between said two lamps.

3. In combination, a section of railway track, an impedance connected across the rails of said section, two signal lamps connected in series in a bridge across said rails, with an auxiliary resistance between one lamp and one rail and an auxiliary resistance between the other lamp and the other rail, and a source of train governing current having one terminal connected with an intermediate point in said impedance and the other terminal connected with said bridge at a point between said two lamps.

4. In combination, a section of railway track,- a signal provided with two lamps which are connected in series ina bridge across the rails: of said section, and a source of train governing current having one terminal connected with said bridge at a. point between the two lamps and the other terninal connected with both rails of said section.

In combination, a section of railway track, a track circuit for said section including the two rails in series, a signal provided with a lamp, and a loop circuit for said sec tion including the two rails: in multiple and said lamp.

6. Railway traffic controlling apparatus comprising a train governing circuit including the two track rails in multiple, and a. signal comprising a semaphore for daylight indications and a. constantly lighted electric lamp included in said train governing circuit for giving indications in darkness in accordance with the positions of said semaphore.

Intestimony whereof I affix my signature.

HERB-E RT A. l/VALLACE. 

